So, I think I have come up with a training/bonding routine

What do you guys think about this...
Ziggy gets to spend all day out of her cage, which she usually chooses to spend on the very top, in the back corner where no one can reach her, although I just looked over and she is actually in the middle of the cage, on the very top door! yay, she's coming closer! But anyway, she can go in to eat or play(which I really haven't seen her play with any of her toys) But in the morning the only way I will let her out is if she steps up on my hand or arm, and then I put her on her cage. I don't force her to step up at all, I just hold my hand in front of her, as close as I can get without her lunging and talk nicely to her and repeatedly ask her to step up. If she doesn't and she seems to start to get cranky I simply close the cage, wait twenty minutes or however long it takes her to get out of her bad mood, and then I try again. We did it this morning and it only took me closing the cage once and I think she realized that she wasn't going to get to come out unless she compromised with me on the step up thing lol. She stepped up really well, no biting or running away! I told her how good a bird she was and then let her climb onto her cage. It seems to be working really well and I hope that it helps her to learn to trust me. I also stopped handling her so much, I think I was pushing it a bit, we were doing twenty minutes of sitting together(her actually on me, no shoulders though!) and then an hour or two of on the cage time, then back to another twenty minutes of sitting together. I did learn though that she loves showers and she is the sweetest most gentle bird while we are in the shower so I think I am going to continue that, maybe everyother day? Or do you guys think that is too much? I'm used to having 'toos and with their dust they seemed to like daily or every other day showers but I wasn't sure if that was too often for an alex, I don't want her skin to get too dried out from it or anything.

just read this post after commenting on other one about showers, duh! Jimmy usually has a shower 2 or 3 times a week, he doesn't get saturated, especaiily as we're right in midst of winter, he like's to have a quick blow dry then sit in the sun. I think he'd live there if he could. He has been doing this since I got him, haven't noticed any problems with his skin. He gets a real kick out of a shower and its a great bonding execise. Re: the stepping up etc , Jimmy took a good three or so weeks before he'd comfortably come out to me now he only goes in his cage if we go out and at night time, he likes to go to bed at about 7.30pm, about same time kids go to bed. They're fantastic birds. At moment just watching him trying to get my husbands toasted sandwich. He's won a crust after some persistant maneouvering!